Caption: Caution!
Construction Ahead. The view from the library
Photographer: Myself
Being at Liberty for
six years now, I have seen the campus change dramatically, and there are new
construction projects popping up all the time. Being in the counseling program
for about two years and still having a ways to go, I realized that as
counselors in training we are under construction figuratively speaking. We are
being built and molded into the helpers that will make a difference in the lives
of the clients that come in for guidance.
Chapters 4-6 touched
on the counselor and how he or she is so important to the counseling process
(Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 83). Chapter four specifically speak to the
counselor and what makes up the person that is guiding the client through the
challenges in their lives (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 82-119). A great part
of this chapter was dedicated to explaining what a counselor should look like
and what characteristics make up a good counselor (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p.
99-118). Chapter five covers the counseling relationship and begins to describe
what tools are needed by the in order to bring about change (Thomas &
Sosin, 2011, p. 123-160). This is the part of the book that gets practical for
the growing counselor and details the skills needed. When talking about the
relationship, they found after some research that studies show that the
relationship between counselor and client accounts for about thirty percent of
the change that occurs (Thomas & Sosin, 2011, p. 132). This leads to the
conclusion that the stronger the bond, the greater change is seen throughout
their time together. Chapter six goes into detail about the skills and
techniques discussed in class, so it further cemented the information into my brain
and will help me as we progress through the counseling sessions (Thomas &
Sosin, 2011, p. 161-184). This chapter has helped me to see what I need to
continue doing, add into the session, and eliminate in order for the client to
get the most benefit out of the sessions.
Thomas, J. C., &
Sosin, L. (2011). Therapeutic expedition: Equipping the Christian counselor for
the journey. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group.
This is a great comparison, because we are technically in the process of constructing a phenomenal counselor that will go out there and execute an outstanding job. We are learning theories and techniques to equip ourselves as much as possible to go in the field and implement what we have learned in a professional and effective manner. I believe that even after we gain some experience in the field, we are always going to be learning new information that will build into our characters and personalities.
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